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China state broadcaster pulls La Liga matches following Mbappé joke
China Media Group suspended La Liga coverage after Mbappé’s Mao remarks, as major Chinese brands dropped sponsorship deals and apologies failed to restore broadcasts.
- On Sunday, November 1, 2026, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV did not air Real Madrid's La Liga match against Racing Santander, following controversy surrounding star forward Kylian Mbappé's remarks about former Chinese leader Mao Zedong.
- Mbappé sparked outrage following a viral video in which he joked about memes depicting his face on a 'Chinese dictator,' an apparent reference to former Chinese leader Mao Zedong.
- China Media Group , CCTV's parent organization, suspended La Liga broadcasts, demanding apologies from Mbappé, Real Madrid, and the league as 'an absolute prerequisite' for resolving the dispute.
- Following apologies from Mbappé, Real, and La Liga for his 'ill-judged' remarks, China's Foreign Ministry stated they take the player's apology 'seriously,' though the broadcast blackout continued.
- This suspension mirrors the 2019 NBA boycott triggered by Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey's support for Hong Kong protesters, underscoring China's political sensitivity to such comments.
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China’s Mbappé Blackout Continues as Real Madrid Games Dropped
Football star Kylian Mbappé’s match for Real Madrid this weekend was unavailable on both television and digital streaming platforms in China, a sign that the backlash against the French athlete over a perceived insult to Mao Zedong has yet to fully subside.
·New York, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources11
Leaning Left4Leaning Right0Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution56% Center
Bias Distribution
- 56% of the sources are Center
56% Center
L 44%
C 56%
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